Food and fitness, on the run.

The Muscles from Brussels: Getting to know the Belgium Sprout

I was reading over my first few blog posts and I noticed it’s full of pasta, fried okra and pizza. I’m trying to live healthy and whole here. It’s easy to slip into old habits, I guess. Today, this entry is 100% healthy.

I have a bad history with Brussels sprouts. My mom says I liked them when I was little. I don’t remember that. I do remember that my sister told me they were little, slimy fish heads at dinner one day. I haven’t really eaten them since then. I always see their little slimy lips and eyes just peering at me. Yuck. I know they’re not really little, slimy fish heads, but it still grosses me out.

What Brussels sprouts are is cultivar of cabbage. They are named after Brussels, but the origin is unclear. They were believed to be first grown in Belgium in the late 1500s, though some believe they were enjoyed as early as the 13th century. Brussels sprouts taste similar to cabbage, but are generally more nutritious than cabbage.

Brussels sprouts have twice as much protein, vitamin C and folic acid than cabbage and more vitamin A, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium than cabbage. They also have twice as many calories and 1/3 more carbs than the same serving size of cabbage, but neither has enough to really worry about (cabbage has 17 calories and 4 grams of carbs per 1/2 cup, Brussels sprouts have 28 calories and 6 grams of carbs). Brussels sprouts and cabbage are both high in fiber.

Brussels sprouts contain sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol, like broccoli and cabbage, if you eat them steamed or stir-fryed. This is why people claim they have anti-cancer properties. There is some real, randomized study data on the consumption of cruciferous vegetables and cancer risks. The data seems to indicate that there is some decreased risk with daily servings of cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy, broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts. However, boiling or blanching the vegetables destroys the compounds. Raw is the best way to go, but a quick cooking method preserves many of these compounds.

To pick out fresh Brussels sprouts, look for the bright green ones. The brightly colored ones with the fewest brown leaves are best. They should be firm, compact and tightly packed. It’s best to choose sprouts that are similar in size. Avoid any with an odor. I think the smaller ones are better because they require less prep, and taste sweeter.

I have a theory that most people don’t like vegetables because they’ve never had them properly cooked or fresh. It seems that whenever I try something I “hate” at a restaurant with a really good chef, I’m always shocked. I actually like it. People, including myself, don’t like Brussels sprouts because we’re used to the slimy, boiled and nasty type we were served as kids.

Fresh Brussels sprouts taste fresh. They don’t have the bitter taste of the frozen, over-cooked variety. Over-cooking releases the bitter, sulfur compounds, making them less healthy and less delicious. Fresh Brussels sprouts have a sweet, almost buttery taste.

As always, the best way to try a vegetable out to see if you really like it is a plain preparation. Here, I tried roasted Brussels sprouts.

If you haven't had roasted Brussels sprouts, give them a chance. They taste much better than the boiled ones from childhood.

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: Side dish

Cuisine: American

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

About a dozen Brussels sprouts

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

Instructions

Clean the Brussels sprouts well and remove any outer leaves that look brown or yellow. Cut the bottoms off and you can remove the core, if they're bigger. See the photo on the right. The white part in the center is the core of the sprout. Smaller ones have a softer core that is easier to eat. It's tough on larger sprouts, in my experience.

I like to cut mine into halves or quarters so I get more browning, but you can roast them whole.

Toss them with a few tablespoons of olive oil and salt and pepper.

Arrange the sprouts on a sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until tender and barely brown.

Comments

I haven’t tried or actually came near a brussels sprouts since my Mom placed the horrid, slimy, bitter, pungent balls on my plate when I was a child. Then my brother told me they were like the pods from Invasion of the Body Snatchers! I couldn’t get past that smell. This post has tempted me for the FIRST time to actually give them a try. I think I will! At least if I can get the “Fish head” images out of my head! Thanks!

Oops, I didn’t mean to give people more reasons to hate them. The fresh ones don’t really smell. I think they taste better than cabbage. However, I’m beginning to like cabbage more too. I used to think I hated it, but with butter it’s quite nice. Butter is another food that has been given a bad rap. It makes things taste delicious, to more it’s more satiating than vegetable oil or margarine, and it’s really not that bad for you in moderation.

It’s funny what our siblings do to us with food. I used to eat onions like they were going out of style. I would just pick them up and eat them. My sister walked in one day and said, “EWWW” and made a big deal that it was weird to eat onions like that(and it’s one of the only memories I have from being in a high chair so I was young). I remember throwing the onion down and crying. My mom says I stopped eating them then and there (and I do pick them out of my food now when I see big bits). I blame her for my bad eating habits.

You didn’t give me more reason to hate them. Quite the opposite. I’m ready to try them since I NOW know how they are supposed to be.

I agree about the butter! I’ve been using “Real” butter (including the unsalted) for the last three years. Big difference. I changed after I found out that Country Crock was an artery plug waiting to happen. lol. Can I say their name? It’s not just them though. Margarines, etc. I use the unsalted butter when cooking since I’m seasoning myself. Much healthier.

Yes, siblings can really mess us up. lol. Thankfully, Emma (who is 3) has always loved healthy food. She wouldn’t even eat any cake on her first Birthday!!! She spit out her first taste. (She has gotten over that by her 3rd.). So hopefully she will encourage our 11 month old to eat good as well….hopefully! But it wasn’t just my siblings. My Mom and Dad must’ve had a sick sense of humor, because we had a sort of pet turtle he brought home from the river. Well, one night we were eating chicken and I thought it tasted strange, so I didn’t eat it all. I then found out it was my pet! Needless to say I found out I was anorexic when I was 19…I see why now! Probably TMI. ha. Lesson: PARENTS TEACH YOUR KIDS TO LOVE FOOD AND PETS SEPARATELY!